Toronto Star: Province’s new school fundraising rules don’t address rich/poor gap, say critics

Posted on 07. May, 2012 by .

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by Patty Winsa and Kristin Rushowy
Staff Reporters

Raising funds has become a fourth R in Ontario’s education system — but new provincial rules will do little to curb the ubiquitous practice or address the gap between have and have-not schools, critics say.

The guidelines, promised since 2002, were finally released by the province Friday. For the first time, they require schools in Ontario to report annually to the community on how much money they raise and where it’s spent.

But they do nothing to close the massive disparity in fundraising between rich and poor elementary schools — from a high of $250,000 over three years to less than $7,000 — uncovered by the Star in a 2011 series using data obtained from boards in Greater Toronto, says Lesley Johnston of Social Planning Toronto.

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Check out Social Planning Toronto’s Soundbites e-Bulletin for May 2, 2012

Posted on 03. May, 2012 by .

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This issue:

  1. Register to attend Social Planning Toronto’s 2012 Annual General Meeting – May 8th
  2. Register for the SPT Member Forum “Talking Trash” – May 14
  3. Register to attend our May Research & Policy Forum, “The End is Near – Future of Affordable Co-op and Nonprofit Homes” – May 23
  4. Reporting back from our April 5 Research & Policy Forum: “The Precarious Journey: Housing and Employment Challenges for People with Lived Experience of Mental Health issues”
  5. New SPT Member Benefit – Discounted GAIN membership
  6. Worth Repeating: SPT’s Deputation to the TDSB Budget Committee

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Toronto Star: Charities face up to $20,000 in new garbage fees

Posted on 03. May, 2012 by .

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An employee for an after-school children’s program, or garbage collection?

More than 1,000 Toronto charities and non-profits are now scrambling to make decisions necessary to balance the books after learning of a city council decision to charge for garbage pick-up.

Beginning July 1, charities and non-profit groups will pay for waste collection — a motion passed by city council late last year that many organizations say they’ve only recently been informed of.

“The roll-out of this has been just awful. Organizations are now just waking up to the fact that they are facing really significant costs,” said John Campey, executive director of Social Planning Toronto.

Hardest hit, Campey said, are organizations that accept food or clothing, since they receive loads of poor-quality donations that wind up in the garbage. For those groups, costs will be between $10,000 and $20,000 once they are phased in by 2015, he said.

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Check out Social Planning Toronto’s Soundbites e-Bulletin for April 20, 2012

Posted on 20. Apr, 2012 by .

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This issue:

  1. Register to attend Social Planning Toronto’s 2012 Annual General Meeting – May 8th
  2. Register to attend our May Research & Policy Forum, “The End is Near – Future of Affordable Co-op and Nonprofit Homes”
  3. Reporting back from the SPT 2012 Research Roundtable: “Responding to Occupy – Moving from Research to Action on Income Inequality”
  4. Reporting back from the 2012 Frances Lankin Community Service Award Reception
  5. Social Planning Toronto Membership – Sign up today!
  6. Worth Repeating: The Case of the Missing Poverty Reduction Strategy

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The Scarborough Anti Poverty Coalition invites you to an Access Recreation Roundtable on April 26

Posted on 20. Apr, 2012 by .

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Scarborough Anti Poverty Coalition

Access Recreation Roundtable

  • If access to community centres has become more difficult for residents in your neighbourhood,
  • If the “Welcome Policy” acts as a barrier,
  • If the user fees for programs at community centres are an obstacle to participation,
  • If lack of access to community centres and recreation programs has negative impacts on your neighbourhoods’ children and youth and seniors,

You may be interested in attending a Round Table to discuss access to recreation issues

When: Thursday, April 26, 2012
What Time: 1:30 to 4:00 P.M.
Where: Youth Link at 747 Warden Ave.
(St. Clair Ave. & Warden Ave.)

For more information and RSVP please contact Shokofeh at 416-586-9777 ext. 450 or shokofehdi@familyservicetoronto.org

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